A sorting day

Today I'm cleaning out a bookcase. Taking up valuable shelf space was 9 years of past diaries. For many years I used the Australian Patchwork and Quilting diary, but they stopped making them and my 2008 calendar was a plain little green one from the news agency. Then I came across the Quilt Art diaries on the internet.

They are published by the American Quilter's Society.

You can see the layout here - works very well for me, and great quilts to look at all year long. It's interesting to look back and see how the general look of the quilts has changed. And I'm all set already with next year's diary.

I also came across this book behind another book. No wonder my house in never clean! Actually, I must confess that I have two copies of this book. Maybe it's worth giving one away! Would you be interested? Edit: (This book is on it's way to Simone. )I also came across this redeemed home-made gift voucher. For when you just don't know what to get a teenager. Better than a store voucher as she just loved, loved the personal touch. And we enjoyed shopping together to spend it!
So what's hiding in your bookcase?

I have stacks of stuff all over the floor so better get back to it.

Hope you enjoy your weekend!

Wild Goose Chase

So in between playing around with itty-bitty scraps,

I have this interesting book to read.

You can read about the author here,

I got my book from Fishpond,

or see the other sources on Terri's website.

Scrappy Pincushion

What do you do with leftovers?

Fabric Collage 2

so I finished stitching down all the scraps

here it is from the back - pretty cool

(backing fabric will cover this)

i built up the applique on baking paper

then carefully transferred it for fusing

here she is

you probably guessed by now that this is

"Girl on a Tree Swing" by Aneela Hoey

all finished

overall a quick project and lots of fun

This small quilt was submitted to my guild as part of a challenge.

Fabric Collage

So I cut some one inch strips

I cross-cut the strips to one and half inch rectangles

and placed them on to the sticky side of paper-backed fusible web

I had the fusible web resting on a square ruler for easy transfer to the ironing board

I only gently pressed so as to not disturb my arrangement

this is what it looks like from the back

I carefully removed the paper backing then fused it to a white fabric foundation
I then pinned it to my wadding, in this case, pellon

here you can see how I'm stitching it down

I have yet to stitch the green down

there's a little more to be added to the quiltlet after this

Not much happening...

I have the winter blahs...

Christmas In July

For all of you working on Christmas items - good luck on a great head start!

For the rest of us... what's going on over there?

For more inspiration, Google Images Christmas Quilts.

When you're home sick...

I'm in the hacking/choking cough phase of my cold and it is impossible to be effective at work so here I am at home drinking hot tea with lemon and trying every cough syrup known to man. Alas, time will be the best remedy. All is not lost however, as I can still operate my sewing machine between coughing fits.

Our dear friend Lurline started making a quilt with this pattern using Liberty fabrics. Her life is turned a little upside down at the moment, and she has graciously consented to allow a few of her friends to work on the quilt for her.

Our dear friend Robin pre-cut the strips and supplied us with block kits.

For the centre pinwheels, Robin prepared the half-square triangles (hst) by placing right sides together with this gridded paper and then sewing on the dashed lines. I will cut on the solid lines, remove the paper gently and voila! perfect hst's!

The top left block is one Lurline made and was supplied to us as a 'sample'. Our strips included two over-sized strips for the outer edge to allow for trimming as that mysterious quarter-inch seam can be elusive when shared in a group.

So while I am coughing and spluttering and feeling sorry for myself, my dear Mr Fixit is busy detailing (i.e. painting) our kitchen/dining/family area (still). It's a long job when perfection is demanded. If he were a quilter, any quilt he made would be a masterpiece.

And I discovered this little chore to do in the laundry.

One of my favourite and oh-so-necessary-in-this-weather turtlenecks.

I think I'll go and have a little nap. Coughing is too much hard work!

Happy Independence Day!

I hope all my American friends and family enjoy a lovely Fourth of July with much celebration and fireworks.

Misc

I made this little dragon ages and ages ago. It belongs to daughter #2. My first softie. Cheap felt and over-stuffed but well loved. The eyes have yellowed over the years. I got the pattern from a book or magazine - can't remember - although I probably still have it here somewhere.

Back view.

My number 2 daughter made this as a school project way back when. She is now 22.

Detail.

Recent family photo just before we went to see "The John Denver Story" with Rick Price.

Left to right Daughter #2, Daughter #1, Daughter #3 (crouching), Mumsyblossom and Mr Fixit.

Lots of painting and fixing plumbing and fighting winter colds going on at the moment. No sewing - alas!